Cost Of Extended RV Travel In The USA

After spending all last winter living and traveling around Florida with my husband in our travel trailer, I have some experience with the costs of extended RV travel in the USA. Of course, while the exchange rate means that most things are more expensive than in Canada, two key exceptions are gas and alcohol, which remain mostly cheaper. Unfortunately, sticker prices at groceries stores seem to be about the same as here, meaning food costs will be higher by the amount of the exchange rate. Campground fees vary considerably. For example, Florida State Parks range from $18 per night up to $36 in the Florida Keys, while Florida public lands offer camping for $10 per night or sometimes even for free, making this a huge area of potential savings.

Before You Go

Of course, unless you rent an RV, you will incur capital costs purchasing your camper and related equipment. When it comes to buying an RV, conventional wisdom says to buy resale the first time. With a season or two of camping experience, you will figure out what you really want and you can sell or trade in without taking a huge depreciation hit. While this is generally good advice, one exception to this may be buying a travel trailer. Since these are more affordable to begin with, depreciation may not be a major concern. This is particularly true if you are buying a quality camper with good resale value by a manufacturer whose rigs are in high demand.

Other upfront costs include the various accessories that make RV life easier, safer and more enjoyable. New RVers face a steep learning curve: with a huge number of RV products to choose from, it is easy to waste money buying the wrong thing. An excellent free resource called Camp Addict has detailed buying guides for key RV equipment. Run by 2 full-time RVers with ample experience, Camp Addict focuses on the best RV brands and products in each category, explaining what you need to know so you can buy the right thing the first time. Their RVing 101 series also features interesting articles such as “Is Full-Time RVing The Right Lifestyle for Me?” Product reviews and articles are all available free on their website at www.campaddict.com.

Expenses On The Road

Below, I provide an overview of costs of life on the road based on my experience. Since spending is so individual, I will refrain from giving my numbers, but instead, provide some insight that can help you plan your budget in advance and save money as you go.

Gasoline:

While gas is still cheaper in the USA, prices vary by state depending on the state taxes. In general, I found gas to be about 20% less than in Canada after the exchange rate was applied. The free app Gas Buddy is a handy tool to check gas prices around you as you travel. Of course, your actual gasoline costs will also depend on the mileage your rig gets and how far you drive. Expect to spend more on gas for trips across the wild west with its open stretches of road than a winter in relatively compact Florida, particularly if you are traveling from Ontario or farther east.

Camping:

Costs for a place to park your rig range from free at Walmart or out in the wild, to over $100 per night at a high-end RV resort. More affordable or free camping options usually have fewer or no amenities: you will need to be equipped for self-sufficient travel to take advantage of these options. This usually involves some up-front spending on solar panels, generators, extra water jugs and/or holding tanks. However, the payoff lies not just in lower camping costs, but in some amazing wild camping experiences! Options for free camping in the eastern US are fewer than out west (but still exist): if you are camping in Florida over winter, expect to spend more than you would “boondocking” in the desert in Arizona.

An excellent tool to help you find the best camping option within your style and budget is Campendium. This free website www.campendium.com lists almost 25,000 camping areas across the USA, plus 1300 in Canada, and is constantly being updated. It includes everything from free wild camping spots to RV resorts, including private RV parks, national and state parks, national forests, public lands and more, plus dump station locations. They also feature crowd-sourced campground reviews and photos, providing the inside scoop on different camping locations. Campendium allows you to search specifically for free camping by state, making it a great tool to save money on camping fees.

Food:

Being farther south means fruits and vegetables are generally fresher and savings may sometimes be found at roadside vegetable stands. Major groceries stores common in Florida include Publix, Winn Dixie and Walmart. A unique alternative is Trader Joe’s, a small grocer generally located in mid-sized towns with a wide variety of quality food options and surprisingly reasonable prices. I have learned to avoid discount grocers such as Save-A-Lot or similar. They seem to sell even lower quality versions of highly processed food. While prices were lower, after a few disappointing experiences I decided they were not worth the savings.

Although restaurant prices and quality seemed to vary more than in Canada, overall I found them also to be decidedly more expensive after the exchange. One exception was Mexican food which is widely available and therefore more competitively priced. Note that in the USA, the server’s hourly pay is often lower than in Canada: higher tips are expected for good service, which we almost always received.

Connectivity:

Canadian cell phone plans are usually not affordable for extended US travel. Unlock your phone or buy a new one state side and get on a US carrier plan. The leading providers are Verizon and AT&T, with similar coverage and pricing across the USA. T-Mobile is biting at their heels with better prices overall and excellent coverage on the east coast, but insufficient coverage out west outside urban areas. Unless you have established credit in the USA, your Canadian credit history will be useless with the cell companies: you will have to go on a no-credit plan, which means supplying or buying the phone outright. So-called “unlimited plans” may also be unavailable to you without U.S. credit history. Some carriers may offer unlimited streaming of Netflix and YouTube, giving you access to unlimited entertainment, as long as you have a usable cell signal.

Insurance:

As long as your travels stateside are less than 6 months, your Canadian auto and RV insurances will cover you without making any special arrangements. For the same timeframe, you can purchase travel medical insurance which is generally affordable for healthy individuals. We used Medipac travel insurance and found them reasonable and attentive. Though completing the paperwork for getting reimbursement after the fact was no small feat, we were successful. Roadside assistance is always a good idea: be aware that most plans won’t cover you if you go off the main road to camp in the wild. RVers tend to be a helpful bunch, however, and nearby campers will often come to your aid if you get stuck.

Admissions/Attractions:

If you want to go to Disney, SeaWorld or other major amusement parks, expect to pay big money! Museums and zoos tend to be more reasonable but this varies by location: in high tourist areas such as the Florida Keys, everything is noticeably more expensive. Savings may be available through larger employers, CAA or other member clubs. For the rest of us, most tourist hotspots have coupon books available at tourist information centres or around town that offer discounts: sometimes bundling multiple attractions can produce some savings. Doing a little research in each location can help save a few dollars.

Equipment Rentals:

Renting bicycles, kayaks, power boats and more can add up fast. While bringing your own equipment can be a hassle, renting is a hassle too. Having some equipment of your own can make it easier for you to get out and enjoy: we brought folding bicycles, rollerblades and also purchased a used canoe while traveling! Rental prices vary. For example, we found state parks had affordable rates for canoe rentals compared to private rental companies.

Uh-Oh Fund:

Travel often means things will go wrong: on an extended trip, plan for some incidentals such as vehicle repairs and RV malfunctions. Unexpected veterinary care and lost or stolen items can also occur at any time; be prepared with a slush fund so you are not caught off-guard.

Even as the exchange rate improves, travel in the USA remains pricier for Canadians. However, RVing is still one of the most affordable ways to travel for an extended period of time. With warmer temperatures beckoning in the south, RV snowbirds can still find meaningful savings to help make their winter getaway a reality.

Margot Bai’s latest eBook is Rent Smart: Buy Profitable Rental Properties, Create Quality Apartments and Place Great Tenants (2015). www.margotbai.com